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A traditional pyramid complex usually comprised of a pyramid, burial chamber, Mortuary Temple, Valley Temple, causeway, boat pits and subsidiary pyramids, with a variation of features in each complex. The pyramid itself was the focal point of the complex, which served to ensure the deceased king’s safe journey and survival in the afterlife.
Throughout each dynasties, it is evident that the pyramid developed from the mastaba through to Djoser’s step pyramid then many of Snoferu’s experimental false pyramids and finally to the true pyramids at Giza and thus Kanawati stated “the Egyptian builders arrive at the final pyramidal after a series of experimental monuments developed from the basic mastaba shape”
From D to D4, the core was made from local limestone and the outer facing with Tura limestone. Internal passages and chambers were usually lines with pink granite from Aswan. By D5, resources were dwindling and building materials were becoming less available and this is evident from examining the core of the pyramids which were now built from mud bricks and rubbles, and pink granite was now only used for lintels, jambs and columns.
The pyramid also reflect religious significance of that time. Breasted believes that “…the king was buried under the very symbol of the sun god…the pyramid rose above…dominating the royal city below…it was the loftiest object which greeted the sun god…and his charming ray glittered on the shining summit”. The four corners of the pyramid aligned with the four cardinal points and the entrance always faced the north, the circumpolar star. The Egyptians regarded the pyramid as the staircase in order for the king to reach his heavenly destination as can be seen in Pyramid Text spell 508 where it is written “I have trodden those rays as a ramp under my feet where on I mount up to that my mother, the living Uraeus on the brow of Re” College papers on Describe the features and functions of a traditional pyramid complex
There were many changes to the pyramid shape and this reflects the changing religious beliefs of the Egyptians. In D’s step pyramid, the position of the Mortuary Temple definitely reflected the stellar cult whereas in the D4, the mortuary temple was now placed in the east, emphasizing the gradual change to the solar cult. From examining Khufu’s pyramid, where shafts were aligned with the stars Orion and Sirius, Callender claims that they were specifically placed so that the king could establish contact with the sky.
Hobson believes that the location of the Mortuary temple and the changing shapes of the pyramid, meant that the cult of the king became more important in D4 than D, in which the king tried to show that he was linking upper and lower Egypt. Now that the king was accepted, the mortuary temple became important and it meant that people could give him offerings and he could be well sustained in his afterlife.
Always next to the mortuary temple was a serdab where the ka of the king was housed. This small chamber was built from stone, with no doors and only two holes so that the deceased could see through. In Djoser’s serdab, a life size statue of him was placed.
The valley temple which was connected to the complex via a causeway, was placed near the edge of the Nile and served as a quay during building work and later as a reception point for the king’s body and a site of purification rites for mummification.
The causeway was used to transport the king’s body to the burial chamber. When the body was ready for transportation, a roof was put on top to ensure the king would not leave “pure” enclosure as the Egyptians believed that a deceased body should not get in contact with the outside world as any impurities will affect the body.
Along either sides of the causeway, were funerary boat pits. Only Khufu’s has been excavated where 14 pieces of wood from the dismantled boat was found as the hole was found to be too small. Watson said that “ one of the boat may have been intended for the funerary journey to Osiris, two more may have been solar barques, one for day and one for night; four could have been required for the dead king’s journey to the four corners of the sky, one may have been intended for burial ceremonies”
Ancillary structures outside the pyramid were mastabas of officials and noblemen to ensure that they would too have an afterlife. Aldred believes that “ the tombs of nobles and officials symbolize the centralization of the state and their dependence on the king by clustering around the pyramid”.
In some complexes, sphinxes were found such as the complex of Khepre. It was usually made form monolith and is interpreted as the manifestation of Re and protector of the threshold; to seize any intruders who violated the sacred precincts. There were also many chambers that were found, probably to house the viscera of the king and other religious and political reasons.
Breasted believes that the best example of a typical pyramid complex is found at Giza where it “…represents the effort of titanic energy… as they converged upon one supreme endeavour to sheath internally the body of a single man in a husk of masonry so colossal that by those purely material means the royal body might defy all time and by shear force of mechanical supremacy make conquest of immortality”
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